MacNN Rating:

Price: $34.99 US

The Good

Stylish design. Easy to grip. Good protection. Full face protection is excellent. Single and two-toned colors.

The Bad

Must remove case to use an iPod stereo dock.
Belt clip doesn’t hold if not used with a belt Hard to scroll quickly through long song libraries.

I enjoyed the protection the original iSkin eVo offered my third generation iPod, so iSkin was the first company on my mind when I bought my iPod video. The Toronto based company makes stylish looking products, without sacrificing functionality. The eVo3 carries this tradition forward with a wide color selection, quality materials, and a clever design. There are some minor annoyances, but I'll touch on those later.

Stylish Design

When I took the eVo3 out of the box, I was pleased to see that it is made from the same material as my first iSkin eVo case. The case does not have a tacky and is not a magnet for lint and dust like competing silicone cases. It stays put on the desk because of its rubbery texture. The case consists of three pieces: a rubber wrap that covers everything but the screen, a clear front visor, and a rotating plastic belt clip. A small, inner plastic disk, with pegs poking through the back holds the belt clip in place. A soft membrane covers the disk, so it won't scratch the iPod.

Snug Fit

You must decide whether you want to use the belt clip before you put your iPod in the case. To remove the belt clip you twist a small rotating lock out of position, and pivot it on the bottom peg. The belt clip has a smooth click to it as you rotate the iPod from upright to sideways.

To place the iPod in the eVo3, remove the plastic visor, slip the iPod through the hole intended for the screen, and massage the case into position. You must seat the corners of the visor inside the case, shifting it back and forth until the lip covers the entire edge. A rubber peg sticking out just underneath the embossed scroll wheel secures the visor in place. A rubber lip holds the front visor in place and closes off the screen almost completely. This prevents dust from settling under the visor.

The case adds a bit of bulk to your iPod, but since it's designed to protect, this is acceptable. All of the iPod functions are accessible, and iSkin even provides a protective flap that covers the dock connector. The hold switch is covered by an embossed button, and moving the switch feels a little awkward at first.

Minor Annoyances

My complaints about the eVo3 are relatively minor. The integrated Dock Connector flap is part of the silicone case, so using it with most iPod dock-enabled music systems is difficult. The thickness that the case adds also makes it impossible to use with any custom fit dock inserts. You can easily remove the case when you need to dock it though.

The silicone texture is a little bit of a double-edged sword. I have a large music library, so I like to use the accelerated scrolling feature. The stickiness of the silicone prevents my thumb from rotating quickly. A little saliva on my thumb provides the necessary slickness for quick rotation.

I found out accidentally that the belt clip really does require a belt to be useful. Running for the bus one day, my iPod jumped off the hip of my jeans and bounced across the pavement. Luckily, thanks to the bouncy nature of the eVo3 silicone, my iPod was unharmed. Basically the clip doesn't hold to cloth as well as it does to a leather belt. My iPod has been scratch free since I bought it a year ago, thanks to the eVo3.

Highly Recommended

iSkin offers replacement visors and belt clips, available through their online store. You can clean the case easily with soap and water. Overall, the eVo3 is one of the highest quality cases available on the market and I feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who is typically accident prone or hard on their equipment.